Volumetric display unit

Abstract

A volumetric display unit includes two first type of substrate members, each having a corresponding conductive electrode layer formed on at least a portion at a corresponding first side thereof. The volumetric display unit also includes one or more second type of substrate members, each having two conductive electrode layers formed on at least a portion at each one of two opposing sides thereof. Herein, the substrate members are arranged to form a stack, with the first sides facing each other. The volumetric display unit further comprises a plurality of liquid crystal layers, each being separately disposed between two of the conductive electrode layers of two adjacent substrate members of the plurality of substrate members in the formed stack.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A volumetric display unit comprising:
 a plurality of substrate members comprising:
 two first type of substrate members comprising a first substrate member and a second substrate member, wherein the first substrate member comprises a conductive electrode layer formed on at least a portion at a first side thereof and the second substrate member comprises a conductive electrode layer formed on at least a portion at a first side thereof; and 
 one or more second type of substrate members, wherein each of the second type of substrate members comprises two conductive electrode layers, with each one of the two conductive electrode layers formed on at least a portion at each one of two opposing sides thereof, 
 wherein the plurality of substrate members are arranged to form a stack, such that the two first type of substrate members form outer layers of the stack, with the first sides of the two first type of substrate members facing each other, and the second type of substrate members form inner layer(s) of the stack sandwiched between the two first type of substrate members; and 
 
 a plurality of liquid crystal layers, wherein each one of the plurality of liquid crystal layers is separately disposed between two of the conductive electrode layers of two adjacent substrate members of the plurality of substrate members in the formed stack and wherein the plurality of liquid crystal layers are of a polymer-free cholesteric liquid crystal variety and a thickness of each one of the plurality of liquid crystal layers is in a range of 4 microns to 30 microns. 
 
     
     
       2. The volumetric display unit according to  claim 1  further comprising a gasket member arranged between the two of the conductive electrode layers of two adjacent substrate members of the plurality of substrate members in the formed stack. 
     
     
       3. The volumetric display unit according to  claim 2 , wherein the gasket member circumscribes the corresponding one of the plurality of liquid crystal layers disposed therewith. 
     
     
       4. The volumetric display unit according to  claim 1 , in which each of the conductive electrode layers is additionally, at least in a region circumscribed by a gasket member, coated with a dense dielectric barrier and alignment layer. 
     
     
       5. The volumetric display unit according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first substrate member comprises a projected portion extending from an edge of the portion onto which the extension of a conductive electrode layer is formed thereat; 
 the second substrate member comprises a projected portion extending from an edge of the portion onto which the extension of a conductive electrode layer is formed thereat; and 
 each of the second type of substrate members comprises two projected portions extending from one or more edges of the portion onto which the two corresponding extensions of conductive electrode layers are formed thereat. 
 
     
     
       6. The volumetric display unit according to  claim 5 , wherein:
 the first substrate member comprises a connection terminal disposed on the projected portion thereof; 
 the second substrate member comprises a connection terminal disposed on the projected portion thereof; and 
 each of the second type of substrate members comprises two connection terminals, with each one of the two connection terminals disposed on different one of the two projected portions thereof. 
 
     
     
       7. The volumetric display unit according to  claim 6 , wherein the connection terminals of the plurality of substrate members in the formed stack are non-overlapping. 
     
     
       8. The volumetric display unit according to  claim 1 , wherein each one of the conductive electrode layers has a notch formed therein. 
     
     
       9. A display apparatus comprising a volumetric display unit according to  claim 1 . 
     
     
       10. The display apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the display apparatus is a head-mounted near eye display. 
     
     
       11. The display apparatus according to  claim 9 , wherein the display apparatus is a head-up display. 
     
     
       12. A method of manufacturing a volumetric display unit, the method comprising:
 providing a first substrate member, of two first type of substrate members, comprising a conductive electrode layer formed on at least a portion at a first side thereof; 
 adding a volume of liquid crystal material to fill a space corresponding to at least a part of the conductive electrode layer on the first side of the first substrate member up to a predefined thickness, to form one liquid crystal layer of a plurality of liquid crystal layers, wherein the plurality of liquid crystal layers are of a polymer-free cholesteric liquid crystal variety and a thickness of each one of the plurality of liquid crystal layers is in a range of 4 microns to 30 microns; 
 arranging one or more second type of substrate members on to the formed liquid crystal layer of the plurality of liquid crystal layers, wherein each of the second type of substrate members comprises two conductive electrode layers, with each one of the two conductive electrode layers formed on at least a portion at each one of two opposing sides thereof, and wherein each of the second type of substrate members has one liquid crystal layer dispensed thereon of the plurality of liquid crystal layers associated with each one of the two conductive electrode layers of adjacent substrate members; and 
 arranging a second substrate member, of the two first type of substrate members, comprising a conductive electrode layer formed on at least a portion at a first side thereof on to the one or more second type of substrate members, with the first sides of the two first type of substrate members facing each other, to form a stack. 
 
     
     
       13. The method according to  claim 12  further comprising, before forming one of the liquid crystal layer of the plurality of liquid crystal layers, disposing a gasket member onto the first substrate member to define the space for adding the volume of liquid crystal material to form one of liquid crystal layer of the plurality of liquid crystal layers, such that the gasket member is arranged between the two of the conductive electrode layers of two adjacent substrate members of the plurality of substrate members in the formed stack and circumscribes the corresponding one of the plurality of liquid crystal layers disposed therewith. 
     
     
       14. The method according to  claim 12  further comprising:
 cutting the first substrate member to define a projected portion extending from an edge of the portion onto which a extension of the conductive electrode layer is formed thereat; 
 cutting the second substrate member to define a projected portion extending from an edge of the portion onto which the extension of the conductive electrode layer is formed thereat; and 
 cutting each of the second type of substrate members to define two projected portions extending from one or more edges of the portion onto which the corresponding two extensions of the conductive electrode layers are formed thereat. 
 
     
     
       15. The method according to  claim 14  further comprising implementing laser ablation for the cutting of the first substrate member, the second substrate member and each of the second type of substrate members in the formed stack. 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 15  further comprising offsetting and/or tilting a laser beam, during implementing the laser ablation, to define edges for the cutting of the first substrate member, the second substrate member and each of the second type of substrate members in the formed stack. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 14  further comprising:
 disposing a connection terminal on the projected portion of the first substrate member; 
 disposing a connection terminal on the projected portion of the second substrate member; and 
 disposing two connection terminals on the two projected portions of each of the second type of substrate members, with each one of the two connection terminals disposed on different one of the two projected portions. 
 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 17  further comprising disposing the connection terminals of the plurality of substrate members in the formed stack to be non-overlapping. 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 12  further comprising forming a notch in each one of the conductive electrode layers. 
     
     
       20. The method according to  claim 12  further comprising utilizing one-drop-fill (ODF) technique to add the volume of liquid crystal material.